Toyota Highlander Incentives

Toyota Highlander Incentives: Unnoticeable and reasonable, the Highlander could haul up to 8 in silent comfort. The base 185-hp 2.7-liter inline-four teams with a six-speed automatic and also front-wheel drive; the optional 295-hp 3.5-liter V-6 obtains an eight-speed automated. All-wheel drive is optional for V-6 models and also criterion for the hybrid, which pairs the V-6 with 2 electrical motors; we saw 24 mpg in our examination. The Highlander gives an adequate driving experience, yet it's even more concentrated on interior niceties and also storage space.

Toyota Highlander Incentives

Like the 1986 movie Highlander, the Toyota SUV that shares its name is a crowd-pleaser that fails to inspire eagerness amongst doubters. After more than 190,000 Highlanders rolled off dealership whole lots in 2015, Toyota's mid-size crossover SUV went into 2017 with a host of modifications focused on satisfying the masses as well as pundits alike.

Notably, all Highlanders, from the base $31,590 LE to the state-of-the-art $48,840 Highlander Crossbreed Limited Platinum, now come typical with a pre-collision caution system with pedestrian detection as well as automated emergency braking, plus lane-departure caution, lane-keeping aid, adaptive cruise control, as well as automated high-beams. Our all-wheel-drive $43,184 Highlander XLE examination car additionally packed blind-spot surveillance, a function not available on the lower-level Highlander LE and LE Plus.

Going along with the 2017 Highlander's numerous safety and security systems is the current version of Toyota's 3.5-liter V-6 engine. The six-cylinder is typical on almost the base front-wheel-drive Highlander LE-- which remains to utilize a frail 185-hp inline-four-- and incorporates a host of modern technologies, consisting of a straight and also port fuel-injection system and an updated valvetrain that permits the engine to work on the more efficient Atkinson cycle. Rated at a healthy and balanced 295 horse power and also 263 lb-ft of torque, the modified V-6 makes 25 more horses and also an additional 15 lb-ft compared with the previous system. Fuel economic climate is up, as well, with the front-wheel-drive 2017 Highlander V-6 making an EPA-rated 23 mpg combined; all-wheel-drive versions achieve 22 mpg. Both numbers note a 2-mpg improvement over in 2014's Highlander and placed the crossover within 1 mpg of the four-cylinder Mazda CX-9's mixed fuel-economy numbers.

Toyota's 2GR-FKS 6 is a gem of an engine that develops power mostly all the method approximately its 6800-rpm redline. At the track, this Highlander cut 0.3 2nd off of its precursor's zero-to-60-mph and also 30-to-50-mph times, hitting the marks in 7.0 and also 3.8 seconds, specifically. Sadly, the 2017 Highlander's 5.6-second 50-to-70-mph passing away time was both sluggish for the course as well as nearly a 2nd behind that of its forbear. Condemn the brand-new eight-speed transmission's hesitancy to downshift. No matter, the changed Highlander's V-6 supplies plenty of grunt in the majority of real-world driving situations. Thanks partially to our test car's automatic stop-start system, we took care of an affordable 21 mpg during our time with the crossover, 2 mpg much better than exactly what we got from a Mazda CX-9.

The Element of Crossover

If the 2017 Highlander's V-6 powertrain is the matching of Highlander's charming Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez (played by Sean Connery), then the crossover's revamped exterior design is akin to the film's handsome however forgettable lead character, Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert). New front and back fascias, upgraded headlamps, as well as an attractive set of LED taillights give the Highlander an extra natural, SUV-like look. Yet we still would not place it quite on the same degree of attractiveness as the butch Dodge Durango or the hot CX-9.

Unlike the exterior, the Highlander's inside has been left mainly unblemished. Toyota did add four even more USB ports, bringing the total amount to five-- three ahead and two in the rear. The cabin showcases a number of helpful storage spaces, including a rack that covers the reduced control panel as well as a substantial center-console bin that could fit virtually a cubic foot of assorted items. Ergonomic mistakes consist of difficult-to-grip temperature level knobs for the climate-control system and a touchscreen that's too away from the chauffeur.

While base-level LE and LE Plus Highlanders include a basic second-row bench seat, the XLE, SE, Limited, and also Limited Platinum qualities feature captain's chairs between. (The bench seat is a no-cost choice on the XLE, Limited, and also Minimal Platinum.) Room is plentiful in the 2nd row, however we found that our seven-passenger test vehicle's bucket seats were placed too low for optimal comfort. Still, the Highlander's moving and reclining second-row chairs were like a set of La-Z-Boy recliner chairs compared to the thin and flimsy 60/40 split-folding third-row bench. Legroom in the wayback is just 27.7 inches, a full six inches less compared to what the Volkswagen Atlas's rearmost row offers. If you routinely carry enough passengers to merit regular use of the 3rd row, take into consideration the Atlas, a Honda Pilot, or a Ford Flex.

Shadow of an SUV

In spite of the Highlander's carlike unibody construction as well as reduced step-in elevation, this mid-size crossover's taking care of advises us of an antique body-on-frame SUV, as its softly sprung suspension permits too much body roll in turns. On the bonus side, the suspension absorbs road abnormalities with nary a shudder, as well as the electrically helped guiding is reasonably fast and typically well heavy.

At 4560 pounds, our all-wheel-drive Highlander examination vehicle was no lightweight, and also the excess mass made itself recognized when using the brakes, as the Toyota needed 181 feet of tarmac to quit from 70 miles per hour-- 11 feet more than a 161-pound-lighter all-wheel-drive GMC Acadia Denali.

With an as-tested rate of $43,184, our Toasted Walnut Pearl Highlander XLE sported $3704 in alternatives. Of that tally, all-wheel drive adds $1460 as well as brings vestigial mud flaps, hill-descent control, and a display setting within the 4.2-inch gauge-cluster screen that shows torque circulation among the Highlander's four wheels. An $1810 rear-seat entertainment system was one of the most costly alternative, while $434 acquired floor mats and also body-side moldings. Requirement things consisted of navigating, a proximity key with push-button beginning, and also a sunroof, along with aforementioned attributes such as a blind-spot monitoring system and leather-trimmed initial- and also second-row seats (Toyota drapes the third row in vinyl).

While the Highlander's lifeless handling and confined third row remain to suppress our excitement for the Indiana-built crossover, the updated 2017 Highlander's long checklist of standard safety and convenience functions, extra effective as well as fuel-efficient V-6 engine, and also improved exterior styling will certainly continuously attract hoards of buyers trying to find a comfy and also reasonably priced mid-size crossover SUV.